Herbert o



(No Model.)

- H. O. PHILLIPS.

INSULATEDELBGTRIG CONDUCTOR. No. 287,776. Patented Oct. 30, 1883.

INVBTOR ATTORNEY 'WITNBSSES N. Finns. Pmmmnogmpw, wmmgm. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT O. PHILLIPS, OF VATERBRY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO HOLMES, BOOTH & HAYDENS, OF SAME PLACE.

INSULATED ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 287,776, dated October 30, 188?.

Application filed September 4,18%. (No model provement in machines for compressing jacketed wires covered with fibrous and insulating material, to adapt them to applying the improvement first herein claimed, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to that class of insulated electric conductors in the insulating of which a continuous jacketing of fibrous material is used, either wound or braided upon the wire, and treated with insulating material; and it has for its object giving to such insulated conductors anniform diameter, an even compact calendered surface, formed so as to protect and better the insulation and assist in shedding` rain and moisture therefrom, and also facilitating the handling and manipulation of the conductor.

)Iy invention consists, first, in treating` the insulated conductor, after the last or outside coating of insulating material has been applied, with silicio acid in a state of fine powder, substantially free from grit or other 1nin eral powder substantially insoluble in water, in a like state of tine powder, free from grit, which will adhere to the surface of the insulating material, and will calender hard and smooth upon said surface under the action of revolving compressors, as hereinafter de scribed. I prefer to use silicio acid for this purpose; but other mineral powders which are insoluble in water may be used with similar eii'ect.

In `carrying out my invention I use a machine similar in operation to those used for compressing j acketed bonnet-wire treated with starchy compounds, and jaclieted telegraphwires treated with insulating material. Preferably a machine for the latter purpose, made alter the pattern ci" that patented to Frank S. Mead by United States Letters Patent No. 176,978, oi' May 2, 1876, consisting ofthe combination, withosuitable wire-feeding mechanism, of a cooperative series of two or more compressing-heads provided with axial openings and compressing clamps or springs mounted successively in a line which corresponds with their several axes, and connected with mechanism which revolves some of said heads in one direction and others in the opposite direction, whereby a wire jacketed with the fibrous material and heated with insulating matter may be continuously passed longitudinally through all of said heads, receive peripherical compression from the springs of each, and have the rotative strain on the wire exerted by the heads which revolve in one direction counteracted or balanced by the strain of those which revolve inthe opposite direction and I provide such a machine with receptacles or vessels, preferably of a V shape, for holding silicie acid or other analogous material, and secure such vessel's to the machine or connect them with it in such manner that they will occupy a position between each pair of its co-operative series of compressing-heads. The lower part of each of these vessels is provided with openings corresponding with the axial openings of the compressing-heads, between which they are placed, so that the jacketed wire in passing from one compressing-head to the other will pass through the acid-vessel and its contents.

In the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in Figure I a longitudi nal vertical section of the machine is shown, taken on a line with the axes of one set of revolving compressing-heads, the heads being shown in diifercnt positions of revolution.

A denotes the main driving-shaft. BB denotes in each instance a revolving compressing-head, composed, preferably, ofiron or steel. Each has an axial opening throughout its length and a groove at its rear endvforreceiving a driving cord or belt, Each head is also provided with a clamp composed of two fiat springs, a a, secured, respectively, to the head by a screw, so arranged with relation to the bearings of the spring on t-he head that the outer ends of the spring can be deflected to any desired extent and made to compress the wire when it is interposed between the coincident tlat or curved faces of the outer ends of each pair of springs.

G represents the acidholding` vessel, secured in position on the machine between the revolving compressing-heads B B.

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g represents the acid, and g. g represent the openings in the acid-vessel, th rough which the jacketed insulated wire j passes in receiving its acid treatment.

The covered insulated wire isfedto the compressing-headB from the reel b, thence through the acid-vessel G andthe silicic acid contained therein, thence to the compressing-head B', and thence to reel d. In this passage the compressing-head B exerts its vcompressing force peripherically upon the insulating covering of the conductor in one direction, smoothing down all inequalities or roughness of its surface, and imparting to it by friction an amount of heat sufiicient to soften its insulating matter to a degree to enable it to readily receive and take up a certain quantity ofthe silicic acid, through which it passes on its way to the compressinghead B, which, revolving in an opposite direction, compresses and calenders the acid into the insulating material, lling up all the interstices of its surface and fibrous jacketing, and

gives to the article the compact, even, calendered, and polished surface before described. Additional coats of insulating material and iibrous jackets or coverstreated with the same may be put on over the surface of an insulated conductor treated with silicic acid, as I propose, and similar acid treatment applied over all, without avoiding my invention, as such would only be an aggregation of the same..

Fig. 2 represents a section of insulated wire coated according to my invention.' D represents the conducting-wire; eand e', coatings of insulating material; f, fibrous jacket, and g a final coating of silicic acid calendered andpolishcd, as herein described.

My invention further consists in adding to a cation, should be read treated; and

correction therein to make it [SEAL] Countersigned BENJ. BUTrERWoR'rH,

Ooimm'sstoizer of Patents.

It is hereby certiied that in Letters Patent No. 287,77 upon the application of Herbert O. Phillips, of Waterbury, Connecticut, for an improvement in Insulated Electric Conductors,77 an error was committed requiring the following correction, viz; The word heated in line 57,

that the specification should be read with this machine for compressing jacketed wire, substantially such as herein setforth, an acid-vessel, G, as and for the purposeherein described.

I do not claim as anoutside coating for insulated electric conductors sand, reduced granite, rock, iron dust or iilings,7 or powdered glass, 7 named in English provisional sp eciiication No. 329, of 1859, as suitable materials for coating the strands of telegraphic ropes or cables, as none of said materials will receive the smooth calendered polish which it is a prime object of my invention to produce on the surface of insulated electric conductors for electric lights and other similar uses; butv What I claim as my invention is- 1. An insulated electric conductor, consisting of a Wire covered with one or more coatings of fibrous material and one or more coatings of insulating material, (the latter being the outermost of said coatings) and treated with ya iinal coating of silicic acid or other equivalent mineral powder, and smoothly calendered and polished, substantially as herein described. y

2. The combination, in a machine for compressing jacketed wire covered with fibrous `and insulating material, (substantially such as is herein described,) of the acid-holding vessel G (one or more) with two or more compressing-heads, substantially as set forth..

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two sub- 7o scribing witnesses.

HERBERT O. PHILLIPS.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. BENHAM, H. H. WALKER. p

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 6th day of November, A. D. 1883.

M. L. JosLYN,

6, granted October 30, 1883,

page l, of the printed speciliconform with the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Acting Secretary of the Interior. 

